For the past several years, I've prayerfully chose a word on which to meditate for the year. On some years, someone else chose the word, but as I meditated on Christmastide, coupled with some events in my personal life that jolted me during Advent & Christmastide, the word that kept returning to my soul is JOY .
We all need more joy.
One of the things that brings me a lot of joy is playing the piano. I've only started to take lessons recently, but I've discovered that time on my piano bench will bring me almost instantaneous joy. Being the curious person who majored in journalism in college, I did some Google research on the effects of playing an instrument-- especially playing the piano.
This is a good article that shows how playing the piano benefits the brain. Check it out:
https://thebestpianoteachers.com/how-does-playing-the-piano-boost-your-brain
I know darn well that I am not ever going to be a great pianist. But thankfully, that is not my goal. My hope is that studying the piano will help me with some cognitive-motor deficiencies that have been a challenge for me since birth.
Gee, whomever thought it was okay to pull a newborn into life on Earth with kitchen tongs must have found their medical degree in an old Cracker Jack box!
I am very grateful that I have a teacher who not only understands that all piano students are not heading to Carnegie Hall, but she is also someone who has done a lot of work with piano-as-therapy.
There is so much to be said for making art-- music, visual, drama, dance-- for the sake of making art. In our culture, we've come to see hobbies {such as creative or athletic endeavors} as a means to more achievement. While everyone should always strive to do their best, it does a disservice to expect that hobbies should always be competitive.
Finding joy in life can be as easy as finding time for a hobby. I've always been extremely drawn to the arts {although I grew up in a family of jocks} and spending time engaging my body and brain in creative endeavors has brought me joy.
From the time I could walk, I danced {terribly, but I still danced} From the time I could hold pencils and crayons, I wrote creative pieces and drew. I still write and draw on a regular basis and spent my college years writing and reading others' written work.
When I was in first grade, I joined a children's choir at the neighborhood Presbyterian church. My family was not churched at all: I was there for the music. Eventually I met Jesus at that little church, but it was not on my radar as a child. I love words and images.
At the age of mid-40's, I am starting to learn to play the piano. It is challenging, as learning anything new as an adult is harder than people with young brains. Yet sitting at the piano bench to practice is not work in the sense that it is a task I must do. Playing the piano brings me joy.
In 2023, maybe we all need to find what brings us joy and do more of those things.
Amen.
Sarah Beth McCarren
No comments:
Post a Comment